Kenosee Lake, Saskatchewan
Each year, I set my fishing and/or outdoor goals well before I plan my schedule. I have learned that if I set my goals first, I will force myself to plan my schedule to help achieve those goals—kind of a one-two punch. These will vary and even turn into wants. Sometimes, I plan to try a water body I have never fished before. Maybe, it’s to fish a different or unique fish species, or learn a new technique. It could entail fishing with family and friends or fish with someone unique who has a passion for what they do. And sometimes it is all the above. However, what really excites me is when I can achieve two or more of my goals in one opportunity.
In the spring of 2018, I was fishing the chain of lakes in the Fort Qu’Appelle Valley in southern Saskatchewan. We visited three lakes in five days and experienced some exceptional fishing for walleye and northern pike. I even did a little bow fishing for Common Carp. During our stay in the Qu’Appelle Valley, we met several local anglers and residents, but none more charismatic than Les Johnston, a retired cattle rancher from the area.
One evening, after a long day on the water, there was a knock on our cabin door. Upon answering there stood a man who you could instantly tell was a lifelong rancher and had worked hard his whole life. Long days under the hot sun and years of working cattle during the long and cold Saskatchewan winters were starting to show on the man standing at the screen door of our cabin. I had never met the man before, and I could hear my mom’s protective voice echoing in my ear. “Don’t talk to strangers and don’t let strangers in the house”. However, Les had enough beer for everyone, so without hesitation and against my mom’s protective advice, I instantly welcomed him in.
Les and I hit it off right away. Our conversation covered about everything from farming, ranching, and rodeo to hunting and fishing. We made plans to meet up on the water the next day and fish a few hours side by side. Long story short, Les and I have remained good friends ever since meeting in 2018.
Every time Les and I talked, in person or on the phone, he would talk about how good the angling was on Kenosee Lake in southern Saskatchewan. Les mentioned that despite the lake having excellent walleye fishing, it’s often overlooked by anglers because Kenosee Lake is considered a summer resort community.
Even though Kenosee Lake is a year-round community, in the summer months, the resort town can double in population. During the ice fishing season, in spring (May and June), and again in September after the kids go back to school until freeze-up, Kenosee Lake has little or no angling pressure.
My schedule finally allowed me to meet up with Les at Kenosee Lake on June 9, 2024. We each booked a cabin at the Kenosee Inn & Cabins. After unloading our gear in our cabins, we drove the two minutes to the spacious boat launch and launched.
Around the shore of the launch, we could see schools of small perch in the water. After launching, we pointed the boat straight across the lake. Upon arrival at our first fishing spot we cut the big engine about 300 yards from the shoreline. Retrieving my bottom-bouncing rods from the road locker, we tied on a ¼ oz bottom bouncer, then a PK Vortex from PK Lures with a gold blade. We baited the PK Vortex with a 4” Liquid Mayhem Devils Split in pearl colour and sent our presentation down.
SUBMERGED TIMBER PROVIDED GOOD COVER FOR THE WALLEYE
The area we were fishing was covered with deadfall. The fallen trees covered the shoreline and spanned into eight feet of water. We stayed on the outer edge of the submerged trees in nine to 11 feet of water, moving the boat into the wind at .7 mph. Just fast enough to keep the blade on my PK Vortex moving. It took less than 10 minutes, and Les and I started the trip off with a walleye double-header. We worked our way down the shoreline, zigzagging on/off the structure, changing our depths and speed, picking up walleye ranging from 12 inches to 16 inches in length and the odd eight-inch perch.
It seems every lake I fish has what local anglers call a Walleye Point or Pickerel Point. These are areas of the lake that always seem to hold walleye, so local anglers have given it one of the two names mentioned above. Kenosee Lake was no different. We worked the shoreline, picking up walleye along the way. However, it wasn’t until we reached Pickerel Point that we experienced some of the best fishing of the day.
Pickerel Point is a sand point protruding out from the main shoreline. On the west side, the sand point gradually tapers off, blending into the mud bottom. On the east side of Pickerel Point, there was a more drastic drop-off into deeper water and at the end of Pickerel Point was a sharp drop-off into 20 to 25 feet.
Although we picked up a couple of walleye on the shallow side of the point, we had non-stop action bottom-bouncing on the deep side and the end of Pickerel Point. Moving our bottom bouncers up the structure produced the most hook-ups, and there was no one depth the walleye was holding at. We caught and released walleye in eight to 22 feet of water.
I don’t know for sure if we were on Kenosee Lake’s legendary Pickerel Point because as we fished throughout the day exploring the lake and experiencing some amazing walleye fishing, we found four very similar points at different areas of the lake and some incredible mid-lake humps that were also holding walleye.
Over the two days of fishing on Kenosee Lake, we lost count of how many fish we caught and released. Walleye would also hit a vertical jig baited with a Liquid Mayhem 4” Mayhem Devils Split in the pearly pattern in these same areas. However, the wind was blowing, and the walleye seemed to hit a bottom bouncer more consistently and with more aggression. For two days, both Les and I had constant action.
PLENTY TO SEE AND DO!
Kenosee Lake has beautiful beaches, campgrounds, golfing, and so much more, including Kenosee Inn & Cabins, the only resort with an amazing view from every room, along with the fully licensed Kabin Restaurant that always has the game on the TV.
Kenosee Lake may be known in southern Saskatchewan as a summer resort town, but I can assure you that if you are interested in catching both quantity and quality walleye with non-stop perch action when the kids are in school, this should be on your 2025 fishing schedule.
GREAT CONVERSATION
My time on the water with my good friend Les was nothing short of spectacular, something I will always remember. For two days, Les and I shared stories about farming, ranching, hunting, and fishing while we landed one walleye after another. The fishing was one thing; however, spending time with Les, someone who has worked hard and done and given so much on so many levels to the agricultural industry, was a pleasure and experience. It was truly an honour to have shared my boat and fish Kenosee Lake with Les Johnston, the 2024 Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame Inductee.
My goal this season is to try and head back to Kenosee Lake in September after all the kids are back in school. I have experienced Kenosee Lake walleye in the spring, and I can’t wait to see what the fall months have to offer. I’m sure Les will be up for it!
